November 27, 1919] 



NATURE 



347 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, November 3.— M. Leon 

 <.iiignard in the chair. — H. Deslandres f Remarks on 

 the constitution of the atom and the properties of 

 band spectra. The concluding paper of four com- 

 munications on the same subject. A model ;.tom is 

 proposed, the vibrations of which would fall in with 

 the observed regularities in band spectra. — P.^Termier 

 and G. Friedel : The structure of the coal basin of 

 Gard. — P. Sabatier and A. Mailhe : The catalytic reduc- 

 tion of the halogen acetic esters. .\t 300° C. ethyl 

 chloroacetate can be reduced by hydrogen in presence 

 of nickel to ethyl acetate, some aldehyde and ethvlene 

 being formed by secondary reactions. Under similar 

 conditions ethyl dichloroacetate can be reduced to the 

 monochloroacetate, and ultimately to ethyl acetate. The 

 reaction can also be applied to ethyl trichloroacetate 

 and ethyl bromoacetate. — G. Bouligand : Limited and 

 harmonic functions in an infinite domain, zero on 

 the frontier. — S. Stoilow : A classification of ensembles 

 of zero measure. — E. Kogbetliantz : The unicity of 

 ultra-spherical developments. — N. E. Norlund : The 

 calculus of finite differences. — T. Carleman : Integral 

 equations. — C. Fremont : \ new method for testing 

 the fragility of metallic tubes. Two new methods of 

 testing notched tubes by shock are detailed. — M. 

 Amans : Thrust and power of rotating blades un- 

 equally bent. — G. Fayet and A. Schaumasse : Return 

 of the periodic comet iqriVIL (Schaumasse). This 

 comet came under the influence of Jupiter, and its 

 elements were, in consequence, considerably modified, 

 and, although the perturbations have been calculated, 

 the exact position of the comet was a matter of un- 

 certainty. After some months' searching a feeble 

 comet (magnitude 12-5) was discovered on October 29, 

 which is very probably the igiiVII. comet advanced 

 eighteen days. The positions on October 29 and 30 

 are given, together with the positions of the com- 

 parison stars. — G. Sagnac : Comparison of experiment 

 with the mechanical theory of the undulatory aether. — 

 G. Bruhat : Separators of radiations : application to 

 spectro-polarimctry. — MM. Ledoux-Lebard and Dauvil- 

 lier : The fundamental constants of the spectrometry 

 of the X-rays. Different values for the reticular 

 distance d,, for calcite vary between 3-0279 and 3-04 (in 

 10-' cm.). The results of Bragg, Webster, Compton, 

 Uhler, and Cooksey and Siegbahn are reviewed and 

 in part recalculated, and give 30346,10-' cm. as the 

 most probable figure. — P. Loisel : The radio-activity 

 of the water from the large spring at Bagnoles-do- 

 rOrne and its variations. The amount of radium 

 present in this water varies between 22 and 

 109,10-'" g. per litre, with a mean of 68. The cause 

 of the variation is unknown. — J. \. Muller : Remarks 

 on chemical decompositions, simultaneous or succes- 

 sive, provoked by physical agents. — J. Guyot and J. J. 

 Simon : The action of sulphuric anhydride and of 

 oleum on methyl alcohol. The preparation of dimethyl 

 sulphate. The action of 60 per cent, fuming sulphuric 

 acid upon pure methyl alcohol in the proportions 

 indicated in the paper gives a yield of more than 

 00 per cent. of methyl sulphate. — E. Leger : 

 S-cinchonine and its isomers : its relations with 

 iiiquine. — M. Stuart-Menteath : Some points on the 

 geology of the Pyrenees. — J. de Lapparent : Devonian 

 rocks containing radiolaria in the vallev of Bruche 

 (Alsatian Vosges).— P. Mazd, M. Vila, and M. 

 Lemoigne : The action of cyanamide and dicyanodi- 

 amidc on the development of maize. Cyanamide 

 (0162 gram per litre), with or without nitrate, kills 

 the seedling. Dicyanodiamide at the same concen- 

 tration does not kill the' plant, and in presence of 

 nitrate is not toxic. Neither acts as a plant-food.- -M. 

 Ringelmann : Researches on the resistance to wear of 

 NO. 2613, VOL. 104] 



parts of agricultural machines. — J. Pellegrin : The 

 fresh- water fishes of Morocco. — J. I.egendre : The 

 food of Eleolru Legendrei. This fish is strictlv carni- 

 vorous, and during the winter eats its own species. — 

 V. Galippe : Micro-organisms living in paper : their 

 resistance to the action of heat and of time. Living 

 organisms were obtained from filter-paper which had 

 been sterilised in an autoclave at 120° C. Living 

 organisms were also obtained from paper of various 

 ages, the oldest being a papyrus dating from about 

 200 B.C. — F. d'H^relle : An epidemic of bird-typhus. 



Melboij-rxe. 



Royal Society of Victoria, October g. — Mr. J. A. 

 Kershaw, president, in the chair. — F. Chapman : 

 Notes on a collection of Tertiary fossils from the 

 Ooldea Soak, South Australia. The author identifies 

 two sets of fossils, the older series being Miocene 

 (Janjukian), and the younger a raised beach deposit 

 of older Pleistocene age. The most remarkable of 

 the Miocene fossils is Orbicella (Heliastraea) tas- 

 maniensis, which hitherto has been confined to the 

 Miocene of Tasmania. This appears to indicate the 

 former existence of land across the Great Bight con- 

 necting a lost remnant of the former southerlv exten- 

 sion of the Australian continent. The later, Pleisto- 

 cene, deposits at Ooldea contain the foraminifer 

 Orbitolites, now extinct in these latitudes. The Mio- ■ 

 cene determinations in this area confirm Prof. J. W. 

 Gregory's and Mr. J. T. Jutson's views of 'he age 

 of similar limestones in Western Australia. — A. J. 

 Ewart and J. R. Tovey : Contributions to the flora of 

 .Australia, No. 28. Two new species are described, 

 Casuarina Helinsi and Plagianthus monoica, and the 

 appearance of a number of new naturalised aliens, of 

 which one, LoUum subulatum, has proved a useful 

 grass in drv districts. An observation is recorded on 

 a Moreton Bav fig, a large tree of which was ringed 

 at the outbreak of the great war, but did not die until 

 the declaration of peace. The death of the tree was 

 due to the starvation of the roots, and as the young 

 wood was removed the older wood retained the power 

 of conducting water indefinitely. Data are also given 

 in regard to the growth-expansion of an elm which 

 appear to throw doubt upon Trowbridge and Weil's 

 conclusion that frost cracks are formed, not by the 

 expansion of frozen water, but by the contraction 

 of the wood of the tree. 



Sydney. 



Royal Society of New South Wales. October i. — Prof. 

 C. E. Fawsitt, president, in the chair. — G. J. 

 Burrows : The hvdrolvsis of urea hydrochloride. — 

 Prof. O. U. Vonwiller : Notes on the elastic properties 

 of selenium. Selenium in the vitreous form shows 

 viscosity effects like those of pitch. When distorting 

 forces are applied, in addition to the immediate elastic 

 strain, disappearing with removal of the forces, there 

 is a continuous yielding, the distortion increasing so 

 long as the forces are applied. The rate of move- 

 ment is much greater when the .substance is illu- 

 minated than when it is In darkness. This effect of 

 light has not hitherto been recorded. Selenium In the 

 crvstalllne form shows the viscosity effect, but It is 

 very much less than with the vitreous modification. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Elementary Calculus. ByC. H. P. Mayo. Pp. xx-t- 

 345 -(-(.Answers) xxxix. (London : Rivingtons.) jos. 

 ' School Mechanics. Part. i. School Statics. By 

 W. G. Borchardt. Pp. viii + 266. (London : Riving- 

 tons.) 6s. 



Manganese Ores. By A. H. Curtis. Pp. x4-ii8. 

 (London ; j. Murr.n .) 3.s-. 6d. net. 



